1. Field of the Invention
Systems and methods of the present invention relate to welding and joining, and more specifically to the welding and joining of coated materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many welded structures are used in environments which require surface coatings to prevent corrosion. For example, the deposition of zinc on steel (through galvanization or galvannealing) is commonly used to protect the steel from corrosion when the steel is exposed to the environment. It is very difficult to galvanize materials after they are welded in place and as such most steel components are galvanized prior to welding. However, welding coated materials can be a difficult process because the coating can interfere with the welding process and degrade the quality of the weld. For example, the zinc in galvanization is vaporized because of the heat of a welding arc and this vaporization can cause significant spatter or can be trapped in the weld puddle causing porosity in the weld. Because of this the welding of coated materials is considerably slower than welding uncoated materials.